every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end...

my new beginning - being a first year, first grade teacher - will begin at the end of school this year when I begin making the room mine, sorting through standards and curriculum, and getting to know my kiddos. The other beginning's end? College. Although I graduated last year, I knew that on May 7, 2010 when I walked across that stage that I would be coming right back in June to begin my Master's. I also knew that my best friend, Kaley would be there every step of the way. Even before we began teaching together, we were seeing each other one night per week in the summer and four nights per week in the fall - can you say togetherness? In September, Kaley got promoted to full time four year old teacher at the Campus School and I - through a blessing from God and a little big push from Kaley - took her position as the three-year-old Grad. Assistant. That meant teaching in rooms that were literally five feet apart until May. How could I say no? I was coming to Livingston for classes anyways, might as well be getting paid for it. I have not once regretted my decision to become a part of the CS Family - I get to teach kids who I love everyday and I get to work with some amazing people - and my best friend, Kaley.


I cannot say enough great things about Kaley - she is the kind of friend everyone wants and few people actually have. She is giving, caring, funny, and always there when you need her. She is the one who - even though I am on a diet - brings me Bakery cupcakes when she goes... and I bring her COBs from Church's when I make the stop in York! She is the kind of person who will take the tags off a shirt and let you borrow it - and never think twice (I actually have one of her shirts on as I type this!). She is the one who doesn't care when you - without asking or telling her ahead of time - show up with a bag and tell her you are spending the night. She is the one who - when SHE was on a diet - would sit at Mexico while I stuffed my face - and she watched, never so much as touching a chip (can we say "self-control"). She is the one who I can meet in the hall during a loooooong day with three year olds - give a certain look - and she will laugh or cry with me, whatever the look entails! She is the one who has the carefree soul that I wish I had - wants to adopt all the orphans in the world, wants to teach the babies to love Jesus, and longs to see the world - wanted to start a photography business - DID IT :) wanted to plan a trip to St. Augustine in the middle of one of our first graduate classes - not knowing what September would hold for us - DID IT :) - and it was a blast, definitely one of the most fun weekends I have ever had.


 I say all these things about Kaley to say that (with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat)... it's over. No more meeting in the halls, no more playground talks before my time begins, no more sneaking cupcakes from each other's class parties, no more laughing as we put out cots and question our career choice, no more eating Mexico in 30 minutes so we can rush to a night class, no more afternoon chats with Tammie - who I will also miss greatly, no more texts that say "are you going to class?", no more Bakery cupcakes  let's not get crazy - I still know my way to the Bakery, no more borrowing supplies for that last minute art project we just have to do, no more stats class, no more any class.


Was that a little much? Well, these are all the things that I have gotten to enjoy for the past nine months (really the past four years) and it saddens me greatly to know that, like the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end. Although our school days are over, our friendship will never be. Like you said, "we are going to have to plan to see each other" - well, in case you forgot, I love to plan and plan we will... Thanks for all the laughs and memories and for making my college years unforgettable.

I wrote the above post last week - today, April 29, I asked Kaley to be the maid of honor at mine and Daniel's wedding next June :) Can't wait to have her next to me on the most special day of my life.